Important Steps of Trenchless Pipe Bursting

What Is trenchless pipe bursting? Pipe bursting is exactly what the name suggests. A sewer pipe is burst or fragmented. This achieves the goal of adding a new pipeline section to a pipe that is already installed, and does not require the complete removal of the latter. Trenchless is a pipe bursting feature that signifies a lack of digging to trench. This feature is gaining value and popularity due to the added benefit of not needing to damage (or burst) owners’ properties during the process of pipe bursting.

Trenchless pipe bursting is not only desired because no physical pipe removal is necessary, but also because there is no need for additional digging to form a new pipe path. Any pipe that is old, defective, or prone to issues can be burst to leave space for the installation of a pipe of better size and/or material, depending on its usage. Please contact us if you are interested in the service of trenchless pipe bursting. Here are three fundamental steps of this technique that may be crucial to efficient sewer installation:

Step 1 – Equipment Installation

Two openings are first located: the starting point, which is either above a manhole or a simple pit, or in a house basement (depending on replacement needs); and the ending point, which is another pit. No open trenches are necessary between the two points. The starting point is where the machine to effectuate pipe bursting is located.

From the other side (the ending point), a long cable (usually made out of steel) is inserted through the old pipe until it reaches the machine so that they can be connected. This temporary cable will ultimately pull the new pipe through the old pipeline.

Step 2 – Pipe Creation and Installation

A new pipe should now be ready to replace the old one, and it should be located on the ending point. This pipe is made out of smaller and equal parts that are ideally fused to each other by welding. Welding is a very secure way of connecting pipes and forming joints, as it seals potential openings otherwise present with simple coupling.

The pipe is then attached to a burst head that is connected to the cable (step 1). As the machine pulls the cable, the cable will pull the burst head and the pipe on the other side. The head’s function is to burst the old pipe material to leave room for the new pipe.

Step 3 – Touch-up and Equipment Disassembly

Once the burst head has reached the starting point where the machine is located, the old pipe has been burst and the new pipe installed. The burst head can be detached from the cable that is now fully removed from the pipeline.

The openings are sealed up and the sewer pipes are reconnected. If the starting point was in the basement, flooring material can be put back and the area will look seamlessly similar to before trenchless pipe bursting.

Trenchless pipe bursting is one of the best pipe replacement techniques. It is more recommended than than pipe lining particularly when the old pipe is too damaged. You can visit YouTube for a video showing how pipe bursting works. Also, please contact us if you are interested in this method, or have any questions or comments. Our team is comprised of experts in this field and we will be happy to assist you.